Local Political Expert — Elections Forecasting & Political Risk
Mercor • Remote, United States
Education
Not stated
Type
Hourly
Pay
$100-200/hr
Your rate depends on your experience and the task.
Last checked
1d ago
Checked
Only apply if this role fits your skills and interests.
About this role
From the Mercor listing
About the work
We are building expert-authored forecasting and research data used to evaluate and improve AI models on real political and financial analysis. Each task asks a practitioner to reason from a fixed evidence cutoff — no hindsight — and document the judgment a strong analyst would have made at that moment.
This role covers political report authorship: elections, polling, and political-risk events.
What you will do
Author point-in-time political reports and forecasts from a stated evidence cutoff
Make and document directional judgments about polling, win probabilities, and market-implied odds
Explain the causal mechanism behind an event's expected political and market impact
Review model-generated analyses and grade them against your own standard
Who we are looking for
Local political analysts with hands-on experience on specific races in swing states: current or upcoming Senate, governor, or statewide contests, or recent cycles in the same state
On-the-ground knowledge of the electorate, the candidates, and the local political environment, from roles such as university political scientist, state or regional pollster, state-level campaign or party analytics staff, or state political-risk analyst
A record of making live judgments about polling, win probabilities, or odds in those races — not retrospective commentary
Strong polling literacy and causal event analysis
Typically 8+ years of direct experience, or unusually strong evidence of equivalent performance
Backgrounds we look at first: political science departments and survey research centers at universities in the target states, state and regional pollsters, state-level campaign and party analytics teams, and decision desks or race-ratings outlets with state-specific coverage. National forecasting or political-risk experience is welcome when paired with deep knowledge of a specific state. Brand-name experience is a strong first-pass signal but is not a hard requirement — direct experience and performance on the work sample determine who qualifies.
Not a fit
Profiles whose experience is mainly international politics, geopolitics, or country risk, with little or no work on US races
Analysts who have not worked on a current or recent US race in the state they would cover
Pure communications or journalism profiles without demonstrated forecasting, polling, or probabilistic judgment
Academic profiles whose work is purely theoretical, with no analysis of live races
Point-in-time discipline
Every task is graded on reasoning from the stated cutoff without hindsight, data leakage, confidential information, or material non-public information.
Requirements
- Must be eligible to work in United States
- Fluent proficiency in English (Written & Verbal)
- Reliable high-speed internet connection
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
- Demonstrated expertise in Humanities
How long hiring takes
Across the platforms we list, people typically hear back about a hire within about 25 days of applying.
Talent pool members
When your profile is a strong match, we can put you forward to Mercor. Set up your profile first if you haven't.
Set up your profile →Why this role
This Local Political Expert — Elections Forecasting & Political Risk role pays $100-200/hr to review and correct AI work in Humanities, using expertise you already have.
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Common questions
Does Mercor's application require an on-camera interview?
Yes. You record a video interview with an AI interviewer that asks about your resume, and clients watch it before they hire, so plan to be on camera.
Does it cost money to apply to Mercor?
No, applying to and joining Mercor is free. Mercor charges the client a fee on top of your rate. If anyone asks you to pay to join, treat it as a scam.
What does a typical day look like in expert AI training work?
Tasks are slow and careful. One task can take 45 to 60 minutes of checking citations or calculations, and you're judged on quality more than speed.
Is AI training work the same as traditional consulting?
It's closer to teaching. You grade the AI's logic, correct its mistakes and write the expert reasoning it lacks, instead of producing work for a client.
What does Humanities work look like for a Local Political Expert — Elections Forecasting & Political Risk?
You check AI answers to Humanities questions, correct their errors and write expert reasoning. As a Local Political Expert — Elections Forecasting & Political Risk, you're hired for that judgment, so hands-on Humanities experience matters.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $100-200/hr, an hourly rate. Where you land in the range depends on your background and the assessment. Pay can change after we check the listing, so confirm the rate on the platform's application page.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
Apply opens Mercor's site, where you create an account and follow its sign-up steps.
Can I apply from outside the United States?
This role is open only to people based in the United States. The limit is usually about where the platform can legally hire, so applying from elsewhere rarely leads to an offer. Check the description for tax or right-to-work rules before you apply.
How soon will I start working after applying to Mercor?
Usually after a few weeks. Applying puts you in Mercor's pool of candidates, and you start once a client, such as an AI lab, picks your profile.